Berklee Today

Tito Puente (left) after receiving Berklee's honorary doctor of music degree from President Lee Eliot Berk in May of 1995 at the Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Edward "Bud" Reardon '47 of Falmouth, Massachusetts, died August 14 at Falmouth Hospital. He was 75. Reardon had served with the U.S. Navy during WW II in the Pacific Theater. After the war, he attended Berklee. He later formed his own big band, the Headliners, and performed throughout New England. A keyboardist, Reardon frequently played organ at Fenway Park and Boston Garden for major sporting events. He was also the founder of the nightclub Bud's Country Lounge in Hyannis. He leaves Elsie, his wife of 46 years, two sons, a stepson, two daughters, and 11 grandchildren.

William Wellington '46 of Dartmouth, Massachusetts, died April 12 at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford. He was 75. Wellington grew up in Belmont, Massachusetts, and after graduating from high school, he attended Burdett Business School and Berklee. He was a jazz musician who played in the Boston area with his own band for many years. He had resided in Dartmouth for over 30 years and was a librarian at the University of Massachusetts/Dartmouth library. He leaves his wife Ariadne and two daughters.

Stanley Wheeler '52 of Lisbon Falls, Maine, died on September 1 at his home after a period of illness. He was 70. Wheeler graduated from the U.S. Navy School of Music in Washington before coming to Berklee. He was a professional bassist for many years and played in Boston and in Maine with various groups until 1980. He is survived by his wife Gloria and his daughter Pam. His son Curtis died in 1978.

Anthony Magliocchetti '67 of Providence, Rhode Island, died on April 29 at his home. He was 52. A career musician, Magliocchetti was primarily a keyboardist but was also proficient on a number of other instruments. He leaves a sister and three brothers.

Word has reached us that Dave Roufberg '88 of Hauppauge, New York, passed away in February of 1999. He was 35. Roufberg, an electric bassist, majored in Professional Music at Berklee. His friends have released a CD commemorating his artistry that is titled A Celebration of the Music of Dave Roufberg.

We have also recently learned that Eileen Sutherland '46 of Yarmouthport, Massachusetts, has passed away. She was 92. An organist, Sutherland composed music and played throughout the New England area. In the prime of her career, she was dubbed "the Ethel Smith of Boston."

Tito Puente H'95, the famed Latin percussionist known as the "Mambo King," died in New York during heart surgery on May 31 at the age of 77. The white-haired bandleader was a defining force in Latin jazz during the 1950s. For years, he brought his brand of music that blended jazz harmonies and melodies with Latin syncopations to audiences around the world. He had recorded more than 100 albums. Among the numerous honors he received during his career, were five Grammy Awards (the latest presented to him in February 2000), the National Medal of the Arts from President Clinton in 1997, and an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 1995.